Fla. consumer confidence rose in January

The monthly University of Florida survey released Tuesday shows the state's consumer confidence was 78 in the month of January. That's on a scale of 2 to 150 benchmarked to 1966 at a value of 100.

The January figure is a slight improvement over last month.

Chris McCarty, director of the UF center that does the survey, says the budget deal reached by Congress has helped remove some of the uncertainties that had been lingering over the economy. He also said that continuing signs of an improving economy are helping improve optimism about the future.

McCarty added that 2014 could be the first year since the Great Recession where there will not be negative events that affect consumers.

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